Announcement

**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 08:43 AM

Thursday's betting tips: Dempster makes Rangers' debut

Weather to watch

St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies: A 40 percent chance of thunderstorms with winds expected to blow out to right field at 9 mph.

Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers: A balmy temperature of 103 F expected at game time. Winds will be blowing in from right field at 12 mph.

Who’s hot?

Michael Phelps – The American swimmer cruised through the anchor leg of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay to earn his record 19th career medal and 15th gold on Tuesday night. Phelps has three events to go at the London Games– the 200 individual medley, the 100 butterfly and the 4x100 medley relay.

Who’s not?

New York Yankees – The Bronx Bombers snapped a four-game losing skid Wednesday and have dropped nine of their last 13.

Key stat

By narrowly avoiding being no-hit by A.J. Burnett and the Pirates on Tuesday night, the Chicago Cubs extended their MLB-leading active streak of consecutive games with at least one hit to 7,441.

Game of the day

Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers- Ryan Dempster makes his Rangers debut.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Texas Rangers pitcher Neftali Feliz underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday to repair a tear in his right elbow and will likely be sidelined until next summer. Feliz was 3-1, with a 3.16 ERA in eight games. He has been on the disabled list since May.

Notable quotable

“We'll see. There's no right or wrong decision. There's just journeys in life that we end up taking. We try to make the most out of those.”- Rangers pitcher Ryan Dempster on how he will fare against AL opponents.

Betting notes

- Manager Don Mattingly said newly acquired pitcher Brandon League will join Ronald Belisario as the Dodgers' primary eighth-inning relievers, with Kenley Jansen remaining as the team’s closer.

- Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera batted .344 with nine homers and 23 RBIs in July, his best monthly totals in all three categories this season.

- New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson elected to stand pat at the trading deadline - neither acquiring nor trading any talent. Alderson admitted while the team's struggles over the last three weeks were disconcerting, "it's not the end of the season," he said.

- The Reds, who already are without 1B Joey Votto, could miss second baseman Brandon Phillips for an extended period of time. He has left consecutive games with a strained left calf and told MLB.com, "I'm not going to be playing for a while."

**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 08:43 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Albert Pujols homered twice for second night in row, but Angels blew leads in both 9th/10th inning and lost a bizarre game 11-10 in Texas.

-- Since July 1, Red Sox catchers are 19-103 with 50 strikeouts.

-- Didn't take Robert Griffin III long to land endorsement deals with both Subway and Dick's Sporting Goods.

-- USC point guard Jio Fontan has been cleared to play after tore his ACL last summer on a trip to Brazil. Very good news for the Trojans.

-- Ben Roethlisberger has had partially torn rotator cuff since November; why didn't he get it fixed over the winter?

-- College football season starts four weeks from tonight; good stuff.

**************

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind........

13) August 21 is Hunter Pence Bobblehead Night in Philly, where Pence no longer plays; should’ve sold the bobbleheads to the Giants, too.

12) Excellent week to be selling programs at Dodger Stadium; lot of new faces in the blue/white uniforms.

11) Record for most walk-off wins in one season is 18, by the ’59 Pirates. A’s have 12 right now.

Should be noted that the ’60 Pirates won the World Series. Hmmm

10) Saw this week where Justin Upton can veto trades to four teams: Bronx-Red Sox-Indians and Cubs. Odd group of clubs.

Why Bronx/Cubs and not Mets/White Sox?

9) Buffalo Bills have three QB’s; a guy from Harvard (Fitzpatrick), a guy from Coastal Carolina (Thigpen) and Vince Young. In my mind, if you’re a football player and Jeff Fisher didn’t want to deal with you, especially at a position as critical as QB, then I wouldn’t want you either.

8) RB Silas Redd ran for 1,241 yards and seven TDs as a sophomore at Penn State LY, which is why USC thought enough of him to add him to their stable of athletes. So far six PSU football players have transferred, to six different schools.

7) Worst part of Central Florida’s one-year basketball ban is that it makes their star player, Keith Clanton, eligible to be poached by other schools, a la Penn State’s football players. Clanton is good enough that someone will, unless Clanton likes being teammates with Michael Jordan’s son enough to stay at UCF.

6) From 2007-11, Red Sox were 283-168 (.627) in games decided by 3+ runs, an excellent mark. This year, they’re only 30-27 (.526) in games decided by 3+. Boston needs a healthy Beckett, or else.

5) There are over 9,000 legal sportsbooks in the United Kingdom.

4) Tim Capstraw used to be an assistant hoop coach at Siena and then head coach at Wagner; now he’s calling Olympic basketball games on TV. Surprised ESPN never gave him a look as an analyst; he's pretty good.

3) Doug Olsen pointed out on Twitter that Bill Self’s college hoop teams have been a #4 or better seed in the NCAA tournament 12 years in a row, the longest such streak since they started seeding those teams.

2) Olympics are only event I can think of where finishing second/third is a big deal. The bronze medal basketball game will be fiercely fought; much better to go home with a bronze than no medal at all.

1) In Ozzie Guillen’s first three years as a manager, his teams were 144-100 in games decided by 1-2 runs, 128-114 in games decided by 3+ runs.

In 5.5 years since then, his teams are 126-128 in 1-2 run games, 88-73 in games decided by 3+ runs. Don’t think his teams have gotten any worse. Is it possible he’s regressed as a manager? I’m just asking.

**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 08:43 AM

MLB
Dunkel

LA Angels at Texas
The Rangers look to take advantage of an LA team that is 0-4 in C.J. Wilson's last 4 starts versus a team with a winning record. Texas is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2

Game 951-952: San Diego at Cincinnati (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Ohlendorf) 16.386; Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.970
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+170); Over

Game 953-954: NY Mets at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Young) 14.425; San Francisco (Zito) 15.428
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 7
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-130); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-130); Under

Game 955-956: Philadelphia at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Hamels) 14.311; Washington (Detwiler) 16.036
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-105); Under

Game 957-958: Miami at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Eovaldi) 14.511; Atlanta (Minor) 15.841
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-165); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-165); Over

Game 959-960: St. Louis at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lynn) 16.680; Colorado (White) 13.722
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 3; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A Over

Game 961-962: Minnesota at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Deduno) 15.893; Boston (Lester) 14.579
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Boston (-200); 10
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+170); Over

Game 963-964: LA Angels at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Wilson) 14.636; Texas (Dempster) 15.449
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Texas (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-115); Under

Game 965-966: Cleveland at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Kluber) 13.868; Kansas City (Chen) 13.510
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-110); 10
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-110); Over

Game 967-968: Toronto at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Alvarez) 15.093; Oakland (Colon) 15.607
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Oakland (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-140); Under

**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 08:44 AM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, August 2

Hot pitchers
-- Cueto is 4-0, 2.92 in his last four starts.
-- Detwiler is 1-1, 2.89 in his last three starts.
-- Eovaldi is 2-1, 2.62 in his last four starts. Minor is 3-1, 3.06 in his last five.
-- Lynn is 3-0, 2.55 in his last four starts.

-- Deduno is 3-0, 3.06 in his last three starts.
-- Dempster was 5-2, 1.40 in his last seven starts for the Cubs.
-- Colon is 1-1, 2.91 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Ohlendorf is 1-1, 5.00 in five starts for San Diego.
-- Young is 0-4, 6.00 in his last five starts. Zito is 0-1, 5.11 in his last two.
-- Hamels is 1-2, 4.67 in his last five starts.
-- Colorado lost White's last four starts (0-3, 9.37).

-- Lester is 0-3, 12.76 in his last four starts.
-- Wilson is 0-3, 4.86 in his last five starts.
-- BChen is 0-3, 8.31 in his last six starts. Kluber is making his first big league start here; he is 11-7, 3.59 in 21 AAA starts this year. He allowed four runs in 4.1 IP in three big league relief stints LY.
-- Alvarez has a 5.93 RA in his last seven starts.

Hot Teams
-- Reds won 12 of their last 13 games.
-- Mets won three of their last four games.
-- Washington won eight of its last eleven games. Phillies won six of nine.
-- Braves won ten of their last thirteen home games.
-- Cardinals won nine of their last twelve games.

-- Red Sox won four of their last five games. Minnesota won four of six.

Cold Teams
-- Padres lost four of their last five games.
-- Giants lost six of their last seven games.
-- Marlins lost ten of their last fourteen games.
-- Rockies lost nine of their last ten games.

-- Rangers lost eight of their last 13 games. Angels are 4-8 in last 12 on road.
-- Kansas City lost five of its last seven games. Indians lost last five games, outscored 41-11
-- Toronto lost nine of its last 15 games. Oakland lost three of four.

Totals
-- 13 of last 18 San Diego games went over the total.
-- Over is 15-9-2 in Mets' last 26 games
-- Eight of last twelve Philly games went over the total.
-- Ten of last fourteen Miami games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Colorado games went over the total.

-- Eight of last eleven Minnesota games went over the total.
-- 19 of last 26 Texas games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Cleveland games.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in last ten Toronto games.

**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 08:44 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 2

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Trend Report
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12:35 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Diego's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Diego's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing San Diego
Cincinnati is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Diego

3:45 PM
NY METS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
NY Mets are 5-15 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Francisco's last 9 games when playing NY Mets

7:05 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Washington is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Philadelphia
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia

7:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. BOSTON
Minnesota is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Boston
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:10 PM
MIAMI vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games at home

8:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. TEXAS
The total has gone OVER in 14 of LA Angels's last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Texas's last 15 games at home
Texas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. KANSAS CITY
Cleveland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Kansas City
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Kansas City's last 9 games at home

8:40 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. COLORADO
St. Louis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games at home

10:05 PM
TORONTO vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Toronto is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Oakland is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
Oakland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home

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**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 08:45 AM

MLB

Thursday, August 2

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Thursday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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STREAKING

Mike Minor, Atlanta Braves (6-7, 5.18 ERA)

Minor allowed one run over eight innings and was the winning pitcher Saturday against the Phillies. He has strung together four great starts in a row and has allowed just six earned runs over 27 1/3 innings. Minor's ERA has plummeted from 6.20 to 5.18 during that span. He takes the hill against Miami in his next start.

Samuel Deduno, Minnesota Twins (2-0, 2.13 ERA)

Deduno allowed one run over seven innings and was the winner Saturday against the Indians. In his four starts this season, the rookie has pitched a total of 23 innings and surrendered eight earned runs during that stretch.

"Some will cut, some will sink," Twins catcher Joe Mauer said after Saturday’s win. "But if it's not easy to catch, it's probably tougher to hit, too."

The righty looks for a third straight win in his next outing at Fenway Park against the Red Sox.

SLUMPING

Christian Friedrich, Colorado Rockies (5-8, 6.17 ERA)

Friedrich allowed seven runs (all earned) over 4 1/3 innings and was the losing pitcher Saturday against the Reds. He was hammered for three homers in the defeat and saw his season ERA balloon to 6.17. The lefty has taken the loss in seven of his last 10 starts and will square off against the Cardinals at Coors Field on Thursday.

Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox (5-8, 5.49 ERA)

Lester gave up four runs over six innings and did not factor in the decision Saturday against the Yankees. The lefty was also roughed up in his previous two outings, allowing 17 earned runs over eight innings. His 9.36 ERA in July is a major reason why the Red Sox find themselves well behind in the AL playoff race. He draws the Twins in his next start.

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**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 09:22 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 2

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SAN DIEGO (44 - 62) at CINCINNATI (63 - 41) - 12:35 PM
ROSS OHLENDORF (R) vs. JOHNNY CUETO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 13-29 (-13.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
CINCINNATI is 63-41 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 25-11 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
CINCINNATI is 63-41 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 44-29 (+10.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 138-89 (+24.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 16-4 (+10.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
CUETO is 31-14 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CUETO is 10-0 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in day games this season. (Team's Record)
CUETO is 31-13 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 38-28 (+16.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 47-45 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 75-72 (+23.9 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 300-324 (-72.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CINCINNATI is 5-2 (+2.2 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

ROSS OHLENDORF vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
OHLENDORF is 1-3 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.33 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 2-3 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-3. (-1.2 units)

JOHNNY CUETO vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
CUETO is 1-2 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 6.35 and a WHIP of 1.544.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.0 units)

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NY METS (51 - 54) at SAN FRANCISCO (56 - 48) - 3:45 PM
CHRIS YOUNG (R) vs. BARRY ZITO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 24-17 (+10.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 68-66 (+21.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 9-1 (+9.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday this season.
NY METS are 24-20 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 64-64 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 11-19 (-16.9 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 96-96 (-18.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 4-3 (-0.3 Units) against NY METS this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.7 Units)

CHRIS YOUNG vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
YOUNG is 3-4 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.03 and a WHIP of 1.121.
His team's record is 5-6 (-2.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-5. (-0.7 units)

BARRY ZITO vs. NY METS since 1997
ZITO is 3-2 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 3.35 and a WHIP of 1.364.
His team's record is 4-3 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.6 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (47 - 57) at WASHINGTON (61 - 42) - 7:05 PM
COLE HAMELS (L) vs. ROSS DETWILER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 47-57 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-25 (-17.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 47-54 (-20.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-21 (-13.6 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-36 (-21.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HAMELS is 46-43 (-20.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
WASHINGTON is 61-42 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 61-52 (+18.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 58-42 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 40-26 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
DETWILER is 9-1 (+9.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 25-5 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in road games in August games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 11-2 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 90-58 (+22.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 69-35 (+27.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 18-26 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-4 (+0.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

COLE HAMELS vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
HAMELS is 12-4 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.48 and a WHIP of 1.073.
His team's record is 17-5 (+6.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-14. (-6.9 units)

ROSS DETWILER vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
DETWILER is 1-3 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.79 and a WHIP of 1.405.
His team's record is 2-3 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-4. (-3.2 units)

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MIAMI (48 - 56) at ATLANTA (59 - 45) - 7:10 PM
NATHAN EOVALDI (R) vs. MIKE MINOR (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 48-56 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 13-21 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
MIAMI is 47-54 (-14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 31-37 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MIAMI is 22-35 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 59-45 (+9.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 57-44 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ATLANTA is 41-23 (+16.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ATLANTA is 11-2 (+8.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
MIAMI is 75-52 (+22.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 312-342 (+44.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
ATLANTA is 84-84 (-24.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 8-3 (+5.0 Units) against MIAMI this season
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.4 Units)

NATHAN EOVALDI vs. ATLANTA since 1997
EOVALDI is 0-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 1.50 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

MIKE MINOR vs. MIAMI since 1997
MINOR is 1-2 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 5.62 and a WHIP of 1.531.
His team's record is 2-4 (-2.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.9 units)

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ST LOUIS (56 - 48) at COLORADO (37 - 65) - 8:40 PM
LANCE LYNN (R) vs. ALEX WHITE (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 5-1 (+3.3 Units) against COLORADO this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

LANCE LYNN vs. COLORADO since 1997
LYNN is 1-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

ALEX WHITE vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
No recent starts.

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MINNESOTA (44 - 60) at BOSTON (53 - 52) - 7:10 PM
SAMUEL DEDUNO (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 107-160 (-31.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 7-22 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 104-153 (-28.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 14-11 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
BOSTON is 53-52 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 10-14 (-15.6 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 27-29 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BOSTON is 47-47 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 31-39 (-16.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BOSTON is 10-18 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss this season.
LESTER is 8-13 (-11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 0-7 (-13.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 3-9 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 8-12 (-10.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 2-7 (-9.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 4-9 (-8.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

SAMUEL DEDUNO vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

JON LESTER vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
LESTER is 1-3 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 5.17 and a WHIP of 1.511.
His team's record is 3-4 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.5 units)

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LA ANGELS (57 - 48) at TEXAS (60 - 43) - 8:05 PM
C.J. WILSON (L) vs. RYAN DEMPSTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DEMPSTER is 26-9 (+15.7 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 649-638 (+63.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 538-525 (+65.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 644-548 (+74.4 Units) against the money line after a loss since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 636-625 (+43.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
WILSON is 35-15 (+16.0 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 18-19 (-10.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
TEXAS is 8-14 (-9.6 Units) against the money line after allowing 10 runs or more over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 31-29 (-12.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 7-5 (+3.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.6 Units)

C.J. WILSON vs. TEXAS since 1997
WILSON is 0-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.1 units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

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CLEVELAND (50 - 54) at KANSAS CITY (43 - 60) - 8:10 PM
COREY KLUBER (R) vs. BRUCE CHEN (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 6-5 (+1.6 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+5.0 Units)

COREY KLUBER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

BRUCE CHEN vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
CHEN is 5-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.44 and a WHIP of 1.481.
His team's record is 5-4 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.4 units)

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TORONTO (51 - 53) at OAKLAND (56 - 48) - 10:05 PM
HENDERSON ALVAREZ (R) vs. BARTOLO COLON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ALVAREZ is 3-10 (-8.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 56-48 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 29-22 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 245-182 (+60.3 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 52-46 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 38-30 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 37-29 (+14.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TORONTO is 21-9 (+13.7 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
COLON is 14-24 (-18.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997. (Team's Record)
COLON is 100-83 (-24.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 3-2 (+1.3 Units) against TORONTO this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.9 Units)

HENDERSON ALVAREZ vs. OAKLAND since 1997
ALVAREZ is 0-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.08 and a WHIP of 1.457.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

BARTOLO COLON vs. TORONTO since 1997
COLON is 9-5 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.35 and a WHIP of 1.320.
His team's record is 14-9 (+2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 13-9. (+3.8 units)

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**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 12:29 PM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, August 2

National League

San Diego at Cincinnati, 12:35 ET
Ohlendorf: San Diego 44-71 SU with a hot bullpen whose ERA is under 3.00
Cueto: 10-0 TSR in day games

NY Mets at San Francisco, 3:45 ET
Young: NY Mets 9-1 SU when playing on Thursday
Zito: San Francisco 8-17 SU at home against NL East opponents

Philadelphia at Washington, 7:05 ET MLB
Hamels: Philadelphia 9-16 SU after 3 games vs a division rival
Detwiler: 9-1 TSR against division opponents

Miami at Atlanta, 7:10 ET MLB
Eovaldi: Miami 10-21 SU after scoring 4 runs or less 3 straight games
Minor: Atlanta 41-23 SU against right-handed starters

St. Louis at Colorado, 8:40 ET
Lynn: ST Louis 15-6 SU against NL West opponents
White: Colorado 9-21 SU at home when the money line is +125 to -125

American League

Minnesota at Boston, 7:10 ET
Deduno: Minnesota 10-4 SU after 6 games versus division rivals
Lester: Boston 6-12 SU as a home favorite of -150 to -200

LA Angels at Texas, 8:05 ET
Wilson: LA Angels 32-21 SU in road games after a loss by 2 runs or less
Dempster: Texas 10-18 SU after allowing 9 runs or more

Cleveland at Kansas City, 8:10 ET
Kluber: Cleveland 13-7 SU after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7
Chen: Kansas City 8-21 SU after 2 games without giving up a stolen base

Toronto at Oakland, 10:05 ET
Alvarez: 3-10 TSR in night games
Colon: Oakland 19-6 SU in the second half of the season

**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 07:56 PM

MLB

Thursday, August 2

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What bettors need to know: Blue Jays at Athletics
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Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland Athletics (-122, 7.5)

The Oakland Athletics have suddenly stopped hitting – and winning. The Athletics, who won 12 of their first 14 games following the All-Star break, have lost three of their last four contests as they start a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. The Athletics dropped two of three to the Tampa Bay Rays to start their 10-game homestand, but still hold down the final spot in the tight American League wild card race by 1½ games over Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Detroit. Oakland has scored six runs in its last four games after recording 58 in its previous seven contests.

Oakland has scored six runs in its last four games after recording 58 in its previous seven contests. RHP Bartolo Colon won his last start after going winless in his previous five outings and will oppose Toronto’s Henderson Alvarez, who has a team-leading 11 quality starts but only three since June 7. The Blue Jays have lost four straight, including a 5-3 setback to complete a three-game sweep at Seattle on Wednesday, and have fallen five games off the wild card pace.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, SN-1 (Toronto), CS California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Henderson Alvarez (7-7, 4.43 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Bartolo Colon (7-8, 3.78)

Alvarez held Detroit to one run and five hits in seven innings in Toronto’s 5-1 victory on Saturday and has alternated good starts with bad ones over his last five outings. He allowed seven runs in 5 2/3 innings in the Blue Jays’ 15-7 win at Boston on July 22. Alvarez is 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts against the Athletics and has only yielded one double among eight hits in 27 at-bats against their roster.

Colon was 0-2 with three no-decisions before yielding seven hits and striking out five in 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Oakland’s 6-1 victory at Baltimore on Saturday. He had allowed four runs in each of his previous two starts. Colon is 9-5 in 23 career starts against the Blue Jays, whose roster is batting .317 against him. Toronto should consider playing 45-year-old Omar Vizquel – he is 8-for-20 with a homer, three doubles and five RBIs against Colon.

BETTING TRENDS

- The under is 5-1 in Colon’s last six starts.

- The Athletics are 20-6 in their last 26 games vs. a right-handed starter.

- The Blue Jays are 1-6 in their last seven games vs. American League West.

- The over is 4-0 in Oakland’s last four contests vs. a team with a losing record.

WALK-OFFS

1. Toronto RF Jose Bautista, who injured his wrist while swinging during an at-bat at Yankee Stadium on July 16, was eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday, but isn’t ready to return.

2. Oakland franchise-record 19-5 mark in July was the best by an AL team since New York was 23-6 in 1956.

3. Athletics OF Josh Reddick is mired in a career-worst 0-for-21 slide.

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**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 07:58 PM

CFL
Dunkel

Montreal at Winnipeg
The Blue Bombers look to take advantage of a Montreal team that is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 road games. Winnipeg is the pick (+2) according to Dunkel, which has the Blue Bombers favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (+2). Here are all of this week's CFL picks.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3

Game 231-232: Montreal at Winnipeg (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 108.755; Winnipeg 111.950
Dunkel Line: Winnipeg by 3; 58
Vegas Line: Montreal by 2; 55 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (+2); Over

MONDAY, AUGUST 6

Game 233-234: BC at Toronto (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BC 118.414; Toronto 113.426
Dunkel Line: BC by 5; 50
Vegas Line: BC by 2 1/2; 52 1/2
Dunkel Pick: BC (-2 1/2); Under

CFL
Long Sheet

Friday, August 3

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MONTREAL (2 - 3) at WINNIPEG (1 - 4) - 8/3/2012, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 52 over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 25-42 ATS (-21.2 Units) when playing on a Friday since 1996.
MONTREAL is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 22-6 ATS (+15.4 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less since 1996.
WINNIPEG is 92-65 ATS (+20.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 5-2 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 5-2 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Monday, August 6

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BRITISH COLUMBIA (3 - 2) at TORONTO (3 - 2) - 8/6/2012, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 54-30 ATS (+21.0 Units) in road games off a division game since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 21-5 ATS (+15.5 Units) in road games in August games since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 33-16 ATS (+15.4 Units) in road games off a win over a division rival since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 24-9 ATS (+14.1 Units) in road games in weeks 5 through 9 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 3-1 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 3-1 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CFL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 6

Home (11-9). Favorites (8-12), Over (10-10). West 6-4 vs the East.

Montreal (2-3) @ Winnipeg (1-4)-- Blue Bombers won home opener last week after starting season with 0-4 road trip; they lost 41-30 (+6.5) in Montreal back in Week 2, giving up 551 yards to Alouette offense that hasn't gained more than 441 in any other game this year. Montreal allowed 30+ points in four of its five games this season; they're 0-2 on road, losing 38-10 (+2.5) at Calgary, 39-28 at Hamilton (+2) two weeks ago. Bombers trailed in all five games at halftime, with home side winning all five, and Winnipeg covering only one of the five- their last two games were decided by a total of four points.

BC Lions (3-2) @ Toronto (3-2)-- Teams played in consecutive weeks LY, with BC winning both, 29-16 (-1.5) here, then 28-6 (-7.5) at home. Both games went under the total. All three Argo wins this season are by three points; only one of their five games was decided by more than four points- Toronto is 2-0 at home, beating Calgary 29-26, Winnipeg 25-22. BC scored 33-39-34 points in its wins, 20-14 in losses; they're 1-1 on road, losing 23-20 in Regina, crushing Stampeders 34-8 in Calgary last week. Lions have yet to trail at halftime (4-0-1) this season. Four of five Lion games stayed under the total.

CFL

Week 6

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Trend Report
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Friday, August 3

8:30 PM
MONTREAL vs. WINNIPEG
Montreal is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Montreal's last 12 games on the road
Winnipeg is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Winnipeg is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home

Monday, August 6

5:00 PM
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of British Columbia's last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
British Columbia is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games when playing British Columbia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing British Columbia

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**Udog** · 08-02-2012, 09:21 PM

CFL

Week 6

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CFL preview and pick: Alouettes and Blue Bombers
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Montreal Alouettes vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (-2, 55.5)

Friday, Aug. 3, Canad Inns Stadium, Winnipeg, 8:30 p.m. ET

It’s almost hard to believe, but Montreal has lost two games in a row for the first time since 2008. And it gets even worse when it comes to covering the pointspread.

The Als have now failed to cover the spread in three straight games and are 1-4 ATS (against the spread) this season. Going back to last season, Montreal has only covered one of its past 12 games, making the team one of the worst bets in sports recently.

If Montreal bettors are looking for a bright spot it’s that the lone moneymaking win for Montreal was a 41-30 drubbing over Winnipeg on July 6. The Bombers had their worst defensive performance since 2005 in that one, surrendering 551 yards of net offense.

Winnipeg is getting some bodies back on defense this week including linebacker Marcellus Bowman and some help on the D-line. The Bombers are also coming off their first win of the season after coming back from a 13-point deficit to beat Edmonton last week. It just happened to be the Blue Bombers’ first home game of the year too, after opening the season with four straight road games.

Alex Brink will get the start again at QB in place of the injured Buck Pierce. Brink earned his first win as the starting QB last week and looked much more comfortable than the week before when he started and lost to Toronto.

Things could be looking up for the Bombers.

Pick: Covers Contest players like Montreal by a big margin.

Note: Keep an eye on the weather for this game. Forecasters are calling for showers and thunder storms in Winnipeg Friday.

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Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 8/2 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 8/2 (MLB, WNBA, CFL, Misc.)

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